Flights for darts and arrows

ABSTRACT

A flight for a dart or arrow comprising an elongate stem having a plurality of radially spaced longitudinal ribs containing between them the stem attachment edge of radial flight wings wherein the ribs provide stiffening for the stem, alignment for the flight wing and protection for the attachment portions of the flight wing.

United States Patent Lowy 1 Dec. 2, 1975 [5 1 FLIGHTS FOR DARTS AND ARROWS 2,830,818 4/1958 Otto 273/1065 C 3,428,321 2 1969 M 273 106.5 C {75] Inventor: Stanley Robert Lowy, South mnmg Croydm England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Unicorn Products Limited, London, 608,736 9/1948 United Kingdom 273/1065 R England 740,209 11/1955 United Kingdom 273/1065 R [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 pp No 369 877 Primary Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro {30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Aug. 11 1972 United Kingdom 37585/72 A flight for a dart or arrow comprising an elongate stem having a plurality of radially spaced longitudinal i ggzs g g g ribs containing between them the stem attachment [58] Fie'ld 273/106 106 5 R edge of radial flight wings wherein the ribs provide stiffening for the stem, alignment for the flight wing [561 References Cited and protection for the attachment portions of the flight wing. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,277,743 3/1942 Crossman 273/1065 C 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US, Patent Dec. 2, 1975 FLIGHTS FOR DARTS AND ARROWS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to flights for darts and arrows.

A conventional dart flight comprises a smoothsurfaced stem to which flight wings are attached adhesively. The adhering areas of the thin wings are substantially unprotected and liable to separation from the stem, particularly when struck by a later-thrown dart impinging thereon. In UK. Pat. No: 525 994 there has been proposed a dart-flight comprising a cane stem with flight wings adhering thereto and surrounded by a metal tube provided with accurately machined slots for the extension therethrough of the flight wings. The slotted metal tube is an extra component that must be separately formed and requires an additional fitting operation after the wings have been attached to the cane. Material and labor costs are thereby increased.

Another conventional dart flight comprises a stern and flight wing formed integrally of plastics material. The moulding tools required for such a formation are complicated and expensive, requiring mould separation in a plurality of directions to avoid, inter-alia, nonaerodynamic flash formations. Also it is difficult, if not impossible, to modify readily the flight wing characteristics, e.g. flexibility, say by adopting an alternative plastics material therefor, whilst retaining the same material and characteristics for the stem integral with the flight wings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to eliminate or reduce at least some of the disadvantages set out above.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a flight comprising an elongate stem having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves from the confines of which a plurality of flight wings radiate outwardly.

Preferably the wings are adhesively secured to the stem by their edge portions within the grooves.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a dart comprising a shaped body having a pointed needle extending from one end and a flight according to either of the preceding paragraphs extending from the opposite end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING By way of example, embodiments of the invention will now be described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dart flight according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the dart flight of FIG. 1 taken along the line IIII, but with one wing omitted;

FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 1 of another dart flight according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dart flight of FIG. 3 taken along the line IVIV but with one wing omitted; and

FIG. 5 is a reduced view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the invention as applied to an arrow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The dart flight of FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an elongate stem 1 attached to one end ofa metal or weighted body 15 from the opposite end of which a pointed needle 16 of the dart extends. The dart flight has an attachment portion 2 adapted to fit the stem 1 to the body 15, a main portion 3, and a cap portion 4. The three portions 2, 3 and 4 are preferably moulded integrally with one another of plastics material although wood or metal may be employed for any or all the three portions. For example, the attachment portion 2 and the main portion 3 may be adapted to be coupled together frictionally or by mating screw-threads.

The attachment portion 2 is provided beneath a tapering frusto-conical section 5 with an external screw thread 6 (see FIG. 1). The thread 6 (which may be interrupted by a longitudinal groove) adapts the dart flight for connection to the body 15 of the dart. Alternatively a slot (e.g. of cruciform shape) may be provided in place of the thread 6 to enable the attachment portion 2 of the dart flight to be fastened to a cane bearing the pointed needle of the dart.

The main portion 3 is of generally square crosssection (see FIG. 2) having four equi-angularly spaced ribs 8 directed outwardly from the corners of the square and extending longitudinally the length of the main portion 3. Preferably the section is 0.130 in square, and the ribs 8 are 0.035 in wide. These ribs 8 define the side walls 9 of four longitudinally directed grooves 10 between adjacent ribs. The base wall 11 of each groove is flat and is provided by a side of the square.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the crosssection of the main portion 3 may be substantially circular instead of square, the radiating ribs 8 then giving the main portion 3 a cross-section similar in outline to a Celtic cross and the base wall 11 then being arcuate instead of flat.

In each embodiment, four wings 17 are adhesively secured to the base wall 11 so as to radiate symmetrically from the stem in the manner of fins at equiangular spacings. The ribs 8 provide means for accurately aligning the wings during their assembly with the stem and thereafter provide a measure of protection for the adhering edge of each wing. The adhering edge of each wing (e.g. a die cut feather wing) may previously have been ground flat to mate with the flat base wall 11 of the stem shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or alternatively can be in the curved form of a feather which has been stripped from a quill to mate with the arcuate base wall of the stern shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The feather wings 17 need not have the symmetrical T-shaped crosssection shown schematically, but rather a somewhat L shaped cross-section.

The fixed wings 17 (which need not necessarily be feathers but may for example be moulded of synthetic (e.g. plastics) material extend from the upper surface 12 of the frusto-conical section 5 to the lower surface 13 of the cap portion 4. The surfaces 12 and 13 are each of a diameter at least equal to the spacing between the outer edges of opposite pairs of ribs 8 so that these surfaces overlie the leading and trailing tips of the wings and provide these tips with a measure of protection. Preferably the diameters of the surfaces 12 and 13 are equal and may conveniently be 0.190 in.

In an alternative, and somewhat stronger arrangement, the frusto-conical section 5 tapers smoothly and gradually into the base walls 11. In this case the lower edges of the wings are covered by or adjacent to a protective band of adhesive tape.

The cap portion 4 is shaped-to deflect away following darts incident thereon. The conical shape shown has a 60 included angle and is preferably provided on its sloping surface with finely engraved lines radiating from the cone apex.

The base walls 11 of the grooves can be other than flat or arcuate as illustrated, as long as they correspond to the form of the base or root edge portion of the flight wing 17. For example the base wall 11 may be V- shaped to provide a greater adherent surface area. Moreover the cross-section of the base walls 11 and/or the ribs 8 need not be uniform along the stem but may be shaped (e.g. corrugated) to mate with the securing edge of correspondingly shaped flight wings formed of a synthetic material (e.g. plastics material). With mating corrugations an accurate longitudinal alignment of the flight wings to the stem is possible and contact between them is over a larger surface area than with a flat base wall 11 so that greater adhesion results.

Securing of the flight wings 17 to the stem 3 may be other than by adhesive. For example, if the flight wing were made of a synthetic material such as plastic and the stem made of the same or chemically compatible material then the securing of the one to the other might be by chemical (e.g. solvent) welding. Another method of securing could be by heat welding and/or by deformation of the ribs once the flight wings were in position so that the wings were gripped frictionally. In this latter embodiment if the wings were made of a very thin material such as polyester strip or sheeting then it would be possible to provide the stem with four pairs of ribs each pair comprising two parallel ribs adjacently disposed to provide a thin longitudinal cavity in which the flight wing may be inserted and secured either adhesively or by deformation of the parallel ribs. This could be a form of the invention used to construct a flight having a stern composed of one material with desirable physical properties such as rigidity and the wings composed of a different material with properties desirable for the wing such as flexibility.

The ribs 8, apart from providing protection and assisting alignment of the wings 17, also provide improved rigidity of the stern and advantageously affect the moment of inertia of the stem. The wings 17 need not extend the whole length of the stem from surface 12 to surface 13 (as shown), but may stop short of the groove ends 12. For example the flights 17 may extend over only half the stem length; optionally with their ends remote from surface 13 covered by or adjacent to a protecting band of adhesive tape. Also, adjacent wings need not have the same maximum width; for example two narrow wings may each alternate with two broad wings.

It will be appreciated that the above-described exemplary flight constructions may, with little or no modification, also be employed for arrows. For example the stem 3, with preferably three wings rather than four, may constitute the arrow shaft itself or an attached extension to a shortened shaft adapted to receive the stem. Furthermore the protective cap 4 could be adapted to from the appropriate nock, i.e. the portion of the arrow shaft extended to the rear of the feathered section and slotted to receive the string of the bow.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modification changes and adaptations.

What is claimed is:

l. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each having a stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length thereof, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stern such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that:

i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stern for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance;

. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and

b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem, and

iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stern attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing.

2. A flight according to claim 1, wherein the stem periphery between the ribs of neighbouring locations comprises a flat surface extending parallel to said axis of symmetry.

3. A flight according to claim 1, wherein said flight wings comprise a synthetic plastics material.

4. A flight according to claim 1, wherein said stem is moulded of plastics material.

5. A flight according to claim 1, wherein the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings is adhesively secured to the stern periphery between respective two neighbouring ribs by adhesive between said edge and said stem periphery.

6. A dart comprising a shaped, generally elongate, body, a pointed needle extending from one end of said shaped body and a flight according to claim I, extending from the opposite end of said shaped body.

7. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each having a stem attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that:

i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs that extend longitudinally of the stem, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance; ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing, and

b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem;

iii. the stem periphery between the ribs of neighbouring locations has an arcuate surface;

iv. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stern attachment edge.

8. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a pcriphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each constituted by a quill feather and having a stem attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stern periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that:

i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stem for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance;

ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; and

iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and i have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing.

9. An arrow comprising a pointed or arrow-headed shaft and a flight comprising an elongate stem constituting at least part of said shaft and having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem and shaft, a plurality of flight wings each having a stern attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stern such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that:

i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stem for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance;

. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and

b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; and

iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF (ZORREUHON PATENT NO. 1 3 923 ,310

' DA E December 2, 1975 INVENTOMS) :Stanley Robert Lowy It is certified that erioi appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

0 Add to REFERENCES CITED:

1,009,640 11/1911 Borges 273/106.5R

3,595,579 7/1971 Benoit 273/ Signed and Scaled this ninth Day of March 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (mnmissiuner uflatents and Trademarks 

1. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each having a stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length thereof, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that: i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stem for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance; ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of Said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; and iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing.
 2. A flight according to claim 1, wherein the stem periphery between the ribs of neighbouring locations comprises a flat surface extending parallel to said axis of symmetry.
 3. A flight according to claim 1, wherein said flight wings comprise a synthetic plastics material.
 4. A flight according to claim 1, wherein said stem is moulded of plastics material.
 5. A flight according to claim 1, wherein the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings is adhesively secured to the stem periphery between respective two neighbouring ribs by adhesive between said edge and said stem periphery.
 6. A dart comprising a shaped, generally elongate, body, a pointed needle extending from one end of said shaped body and a flight according to claim 1, extending from the opposite end of said shaped body.
 7. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each having a stem attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that: i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs that extend longitudinally of the stem, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance; ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing, and b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; iii. the stem periphery between the ribs of neighbouring locations has an arcuate surface; iv. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge.
 8. A flight comprising an elongate stem having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem, a plurality of flight wings each constituted by a quill feather and having a stem attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that: i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stem for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locaTions spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance; ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; and iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing.
 9. An arrow comprising a pointed or arrow-headed shaft and a flight comprising an elongate stem constituting at least part of said shaft and having a periphery of predetermined regular shape symmetric about an axis of symmetry of the stem and shaft, a plurality of flight wings each having a stem attachment edge, and means mounting the stem attachment edge of each flight wing to said stem such that said flight wings radiate outwardly of said stem periphery with said elongate stem extending longitudinally beyond each end of the stem attachment edge of each of said flight wings, said flight being characterised in that: i. the elongate stem has a plurality of integral flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs of substantially uniform cross-section that extend longitudinally of the stem for at least the length of said attachment edges, radiate from said stem periphery about periphery locations spaced equiangularly of said axis of symmetry, and project outwardly of the stem periphery by a short distance; ii. each of said flight wing alignment and stem stiffening ribs has two opposite side surfaces that are a. planar and parallel to one another and to a radius from said axis of symmetry, whereby at least one of said surfaces constitutes a planar alignment face for a radiating flight wing adjacent the entire length of the stem attachment edge thereof, and b. spaced apart by a distance that is substantially less than the angular distance, along the stem periphery, between the ribs of neighbouring locations, whereby said ribs provide stiffening of the stem; and iii. each flight wing laterally abuts the planar alignment face of an associated one of said ribs to be thereby aligned longitudinally of said stem and have its said attachment edge laterally protected by said rib along the entire length of said stem attachment edge extending substantially the whole length of said flight wing. 